


Old Ghosts, Old Friends

by j_gabrielle



Category: Pacific Rim (2013), Torchwood
Genre: Crossover, Drabble, Gen, One Shot, because someone has to do it, so it might as well be me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-16
Updated: 2013-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-20 08:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/885136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_gabrielle/pseuds/j_gabrielle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He barely hides the shudder when he sets it back down. “Ugh…” Is all he says, hiding his mouth behind his hand. Muffled, “I wish Ianto wrote down his coffee recipe somewhere.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Ghosts, Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Because I miss Torchwood okay?

His coffee has just enough time to cool before the man slips into the seat next to him. Hermann raises an eyebrow, but does not comment when the man crosses his arms at the sight of the cane.

“Don’t say anything Jack.”

“I wasn’t about to.” The man, Jack, says with a smile. “All I was going to say was that you looked like shit warmed over.”

The tips of Hermann’s lips twitch at that. “Thank you for the wonderful commentary, Captain. Now, would you mind telling me why you’re here? I reckon we’ve just got about…” He lifts his eyes to the beat up clock behind the counter. “Five minutes?”

“Three. I may have triggered some of Tosh’s old face recognition programmes.” Hermann shakes his head slightly, amused. Jack grins, reaching over to pat at his hand on the grimy table top. “It’s nice to see you, Owe-”

“Hermann. Hermann Gottlieb.” He corrects, picking his coffee and taking a sip, face distorting briefly into a look of pure disgust. “God, this taste awful!”

“Still a doctor, I presume?” Jack asks, stealing his cup and taking a swig himself. He barely hides the shudder when he sets it back down. “Ugh…” Is all he says, hiding his mouth behind his hand. Muffled, “I wish Ianto wrote down his coffee recipe somewhere.”

Hermann has to laugh at that. “Doctor of science. Tosh will be ever so proud of me.” He smiles easily. The old ghosts that used to come whenever he brings up their dead comrades had long since ceased to haunt him. “How’s…?”

“Gwen and her family are good. Sticking it out and fuming at the lack of activity, but good. Alive.” Jack tilts his head, “What’s with the cane?”

“Oh, this?” He lifts the object in question. “Haven’t you heard, Jack? The best disguises are the ones that let you hide in plain sight.” Hermann smirks.

“Working with Kaiju is glaringly obvious.” For a moment there, Hermann catches the worry underlining the casual words and the nonchalant pose Jack is adopting. Suddenly, Hermann is transported to a different time, when he was another person with a different life and a different name.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Jack.” He whispers. “I’ll be fine. With what I know about aliens and The Rift, I’m helping.” He bows his head for a moment, sighing tiredly. “I still have access to the Torchwood mainframe, and with all that we know, what we’ve seen? They all can’t compare to these things.”

“Oh Owen.” Jack says softly, leaning closer. Cupping his cheek, Jack presses a soft kiss to his forehead. “Just… Be careful. Okay? You’re not invincible.”

Hermann lets the slip of name pass. “I know.”

Distantly, they become aware of the tell-tale sounds of army issue boots on concrete. “That’s my cue to exit stage left.” Jack stands abruptly, smoothing his hand down his RAF coat. “See you around Dr. Gottlieb.” He winks.

Hermann chuckles, watching as his old boss/friend/father-figure delicately picks his way over to the back entrance of the coffee shop. He does not move for a few terse seconds, ears straining to pick out any sounds of gunshots or any screams. When he is sure that they will not come, he takes out a stub of a pencil and his notebook, smiling at the knowledge that Jack will seek him out again now that the other man knows where he is.

 

 

[end.]

**Author's Note:**

> [If You Have A Prompt You Would Like To See Me Fill, Please Leave It Here](http://randomingoftherandomness.tumblr.com/ask)


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